Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

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The week leading up to a team’s season opener can at times be confusing for fans who are learning a lot of new names after so much roster turnover during the cut-and-sign bonanza while an organization tries to get down to its final 53-man roster.

One thing that I know always intrigues me (for whatever reason) is what uniform numbers the new guys are wearing on the team.

Well, here are those newcomers’ numbers, as well as a uniform number change by one current player:

The recently announced Redskins practice squad features four players that have formerly donned the Burgundy and Gold:

Aldrick Robinson, wide receiver, No. 11

Evan Royster, running back, No. 35

Maurice Hurt, offensive guard, No. 79

Doug Worthington, defensive end, No. 90.

To get to the eight-player maximum, the squad is filled out with four newcomers to the Nation’s Capital.

One of them, quarterback Jonathan Crompton (No. 3), actually had a chance to scout the area and stadium on Thursday night as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Crompton came into the game in a rotation with Bucs starter Rudy Carpenter, and went 12-for-22 for 149 yards and a touchdown and interception.

The Redskins defense roughed him up a little in the game, sacking him twice, once each from the departed Davonte Shannon and Edgar Jones. The interception by Josh Wilson was more of an athletic move by Wilson than an errant throw by Crompton, but I’m sure a few introductions will be in order in the locker room tomorrow.

When I asked him today about Wilson, he laughed and replied: “Nah, I haven’t met him yet. But I’m gonna have to mess with him a little.” Read more »

When the Redskins traded cornerback Doug Dutch to the Ravens for current #2 quarterback John Beck, it seemed likely that we had seen the last of the D.C. native (and Gonzaga grad) as well as his impressive cheering section. But Dutch never caught on in Baltimore, and — as the Redskins find themselves thin in the defensive backfield following injuries to Carlos Rogers and every safety on the team — Dutch was signed to the practice squad yesterday. The cheering section hasn’t returned yet, but I’m sure they’ll be here if Dutch is still on the roster when training camp rolls around.

(This signing also means that John Beck was acquired for absolutely nothing. Coincidentally, that’s the same thing he’s done on the field this season. But the coaching staff seems to be pretty high on him, so I suppose you could now officially chalk up the John Beck trade as an umitigated win for the Redskins. The way this season’s gone, I’ll take whatever wins I can find.)

Dutch wasn’t the only signing, though, and he probably wasn’t the most significant either — cornerback Reggie Jones was signed from the Saints practice squad straight to the Redskins active roster.

Several people who are upset about the release of Devin Thomas have made comments to me about the Redskins wide receiving corps beginning to look like The Smurfs 2. (Why this is an inherently bad thing is never made clear to me; the original Smurfs were instrumental in the 1982 Super Bowl season. [That’s the original REDSKINS Smurfs, obviously, not the blue cartoon from Belgium.] But whatever.) And you can certainly see where that observation comes from: Santana Moss has never been the biggest of guys, and he towers over Brandon Banks; Anthony Armstrong isn’t notably tiny, but he’s not a huge guy either.

Well, people who don’t like that are probably going to be less than thrilled with the latest wide receiver signed to the Redskins practice squad: Ray Small is listed at 5-11, 180, but that seems generous. Heck, he even has a diminutive last name. Small played college ball at Ohio State, where he returned kickoffs and punts in addition to catching passes, and he says that his 40 time is a 4.38. He was in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings and caught 4 passes for 43 yards during two preseason games with the team, but was cut during the preseason and returned to Columbus to train and wait for a call.

And wait. And wait. “I thought it was over for me,” Small said today.

Then the Redskins called, and they offered Small the one thing he says he was looking for: “They told me I have an opportunity,” Small said. “That’s basically all a player needs: an opportunity. So hopefully I can come in, show what I can do, my work ethic, hopefully get bumped up.”

Until then, Small will practice with the team, probably act as Devin Hester and DeSean Jackson and other speedsters on the scout team, and generally irritate the Smurf Haters.

Meanwhile, here’s a punt return from Small during his Ohio State days, with that speed on full display.

Like this:

The Redskins announced today that they’ve signed two running backs to the practice squad, releasing linebacker Mike Balogun to make room. (The other space was vacated when Brandon Banks was signed to the active roster on Saturday.)

One of the faces is familiar: this marks the return of Keiland Williams, who was with the team through preseason and spent the first three games of the season on the active roster.

The other guy is Javarris James, who — if not entirely familiar — at least comes from a familiar school. James played his college ball at Miami, just like Clinton Portis (and Santana Moss, and Rocky McIntosh), and is also the cousin of former NFL running back Edgerrin James. So if pedigree means anything, James could be an interesting addition. (It doesn’t, necessarily, but it’s still worth noting.)

Well, I suggested at the end of yesterday’s post about the cuts that it might not be goodbye to all of the cut guys, and that certainly turned out to be the case. The initial seven members of the 2010 Redskins practice squad come from the team’s cut list, including three 2010 draft picks (and one 2008 draft pick).

Practice squad players, for those unfamiliar, practice with the team, attend meetings with the team, and are generally treated like members of the roster. But they are not available to play in games unless they are first signed to the active roster, and they can also be signed to the active rosters of other NFL teams.

This is a way of keeping promising young WR Terrence Austin around and letting him develop for a bit longer — and for those of you (like @HomerMcFanboy) who don’t think that the practice squad is a valuable tool for developing young guys, may I point you for the quadriollionth time to the story of Anthony Armstrong, for one. (Or Devin Aromashodu, for a frustrating second example.)

Like this:

Of the four punters who tried out at Redskins Park today, Glenn Pakulak is the choice. He’s been signed to the practice squad, and blog favorite WR Trent Shelton has been released to make room.

For Pakulak, this continues a well-traveled NFL career that’s included stops in Seattle, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Oakland, Tennessee, Chicago, New Orleans, New York, and Amsterdam. Once Hunter Smith‘s situation clarifies, the team will have to consider next moves. For the moment, Pakulak’s practice squad status allows him to practice with the team — and conversely allows the team to see how he works out during the week of practice.

At least it’s not a total comedown from a go-to nickname standpoint: Glenn may not rhyme with punter the way Hunter does, but at least there’s the potential for some alliteration with Pakulak the Punter.Read more »